Box forming mechanism



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1931. T. A. FEDERwlTz ET AL BOX FORMINGMECHANISM Original Filed July l, 1925 'INVENTOR d Y du@ ATTORNEY.

Nov. l0, 1931.

`T. A. FEDERWITZ ET AL BOX FORMING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled July l, 1925 Nov. 10,1931.

T. A. FEDERwlTz ET AL BOX FORMING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTdRs Wif@ A TToRNEY.

7 n ma@ .M

Original Filed July l, 1925 original appima'n med July 1, 1925,

i Patented Nov. ,l 1193.1 Y, E

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE THEODOBE L 'IEDERW'ITZ AND WALTER. "nBAILEY, or PnILAJJmPinA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO STORES SMITHCOMPANY, OF SYLVANIArA CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA mm PENN* BOX FOBMINGMEQ'HANISI Our invention relates to the art of constructing or wrappingboxes, either stayed' or non-stayed, packages, box structures, or thelike, hereinafter generically termed box structures.

In accordance with our invention, individual box structures and wrappersheets or labels having one surface either partially or wholly coatedwith adhesive are delivered in succession into the path of the formblocky structure of a wra ping machine or the like,

A allel with that of the form block structure delivers box structures insuccession, an

more particularly, a box structure of the character last named maybe cheor more separate components of cardboard, box board,

or the like destined to be held in box-forming position by a wrapper,sheet or label.

Further in accordance with our invention,

a blank destined to form a non-stayed box' is passed through bending andforming mechanism, and in the form of a non-stayed box is moved tosuitable position with respect to the wrapper-applying structure of awrapping Inachineyand more particularly, 'the aforesaid bending andforming mechanism comprises one or more plungers reciprocating in timedrelation with the wrapping machine.-

Our invention resides in the system and apparatus of the characterhereinafter-described and claimed.

This application is a division of'our co pending application Ser. No.40,769, filed July 1, 1925. r

Foran understanding of one of the forms our apparatus mav take,reference is to be had to the accompanyn drawings in which':

Fig. lis a side elevational view, partly in Serial. No. 40,769. Dividedand this application lled Deoember 8,1,

1926. Serial'lo. 158,183. 1

vertical section of apparatus constructed i accordance with ourinvention..

Fig. 2 is a transverseV vertical sectional view taken on the line 242 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a wrap' ing machine Wgenerally of the character 1 lustrated in U. S. Patent No.

691,329. However, in accordance with the preferred form of ourinvention, wrapping machine W is of the character illustrated in U. S.Patent No. 1,540,900 or in ourU. S. PatentNo.1,541,036.

In the example illustrated, the wrapping machine W comprises areciprocatory rod 1 carrying 4the u per and lower form blocks 2 and 3utilizab e, as well understood in the art, for trans orting a`boxstructure having,

a wrapper a hering to its bottom into-engagement with the lower formblock or platen 4 disposed upon the reciprocatory rod .5. Thus held, thebox structure and wrapper are carried into coactin u' relationsuccessively with the rolls 6, 6 for oldinthe wrapper side panels' intocontact with t e respect1ve box structure side walls, the corner lapturn-in members 7, 7, the rolls 8 for folding the wrap.- per end panelsinto contact with the respective box structure end walls 8, the turn-infin ers 9 and the presser bars 10.

ooperativelyrelatedwith the wrapping machine W is the delivery end ofthe conveyor unit C by which wrappers are transported individually andin succession from suitable adhesive-ap lying mechanism, not shown, intothe pat of the lform blocks 2, 3. v

As clearly described in our aforesaid parent application,the conveyingunit C comprises a base, not shown, from which rise the spaced sideframes 11, 11a tied `together by transverse members, 'not shown, onwhich are sldable the conveyorframes 12, 12a.

. Mounted on sprocket wheels 13 disposed at cach end of the conveyorframes 12, 12a are the endless chains 14, 14acarrying the transverselyaligned pairs o f sheet` ip ersV. Preferably, the lower spans effigie`clijains 1Q and 14a are supported and guided by the members 15 while theupper chain spans are supported by the members 16.

The chains 14 and 14a are operated by the intermittently rotated shafts17, 17a, Fig. 3, disposed in bearings on the respective con# veyorframes 12, 12a. carries a gear 18 meshing with a gear 19 keyed to ashaft on which one of the aforesaid sprocket wheels 13 is mounted.Accordingly, the lower spans ofchains 14, 14a move stepby-step from lefttoward the right, Fig. 1, to successively bring individual adhesive-'coated wrappers into the path of the form blocks 2, 3. i

Operating in timed relation with the wrapping machineform blockstructure is the oscillatory gear segment 20 which meshes with a gear 21keyed to a shaft 22. Carried by shaft 22 is a gear, not shown, whichmeshes with a gear 23 keyed to one end of a shaftl 24,

which at its other end has the gear 25 keyed thereto, Fig. 2. l

Meshing with the gear 25 is a gear 26 keyed to a shaft 27 journalled inthe side frames 11, 11a. Gears 28, 28a mounted in bearings in therespective conveyor frames 12, 12a are splined to shaft 27. Meshing withgears28,

28a are the racks or members 29, 29a disposed for reciprocatory movementin the members 15, 15. Adjustably secured to the racks 29, 29a in anysuitable manner, as by the pin-andslot connections 30, Fig. 1, are therespective pusher bars 31, 31a.

Meshing with the spiral gear 26 is the gear 32 keyed to one end of ashaft 33 mounted in bearings in a frame 34 supported by the side frames11, 11a. Keyed to the other end of shaft 33 is the gear 35 meshing withthe gear 36 keyed to a shaft 37 mounted in bearings in the frame 34.Gears 38, 38a splined to shaft 37 mesh, respectively, with racks '39,39a

mounted for reciprocatory-movement in the respective track structures40, 40a. Plates 41, 41a, each secured in an adjustable mannerlongitudinally of and to the respective racks 39, 39a as indicated at42, Fig. 1, comprise,

respectively the knife 'edges 43 and 43a.

Hopper plates 44 adjustably mounted on and longitudinally of the trackstructure 40,-40a serve to support a stack of blanks B from the bottomof which an individual blank is intermittently removed by the knifeedges 43, 43a, as hereinafter particularly described.

Angle form plates 45 respectively mounted for longitudinal adjustment onthe track structures 40,'40a by pin-and-slot connections 46 facecooperating form plates 47 likewise mounted for longitudinal adjustmenton track structures 40, 40a by pin-and-slot con- `nections 47 b, saidtrack structures 40, 40a

comprising, respectively, the downwardly extending members 48, 48aserving as bearings for an,upper bending roll 49, Fig. 2. Downwa'rdlyextending guide plates 50, 50a

Each shaft 17, 17a4 -1,sa1,2ee

likewise carried, respectively, by the track structures 40, 40a,respectively, carry guide structures 51, 51a providing bearings for thelower bending roll 52, Fig. 2. Slidable longitudinally on guidestructures 51, 51a are th'e respective pusher fingers 53, 53a secured,respectively, to the rack structures 39, 39a by the angle plates 54,54a.

The guide plates 50, 50a carry guide fingers 55, each adjustably mountedthereon in a longitudinal sense by the pin-.and-slot connections 56,Fig. 1. Track .structures 40, 40a each carry a downwardly and inwardlyextending guide finger 57, a pin-and-slot connection l58 permittinglongitudinal adjustment of each guide finger with respect to itssupporting structure.

Disposed substantially in horizontal alignment with the top surfaces ofguide structures 51, 51a are the plate-like members 59, 59a pivoted,respectively, tothe guide plates 50, 50a. Members 59, 59a are biasedinto substantially the positions shown on the drawings by one or moresprings 60.

Guide plates 50, 50a4 are bent inwardly to provide supporting Vledges61, Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1, the constantly rotating shaft 62 carries spiralgear 63 meshing with and driving spiral gear 64 keyed to one end ofshaft 65-rotatably supported by the frames 11a and 34. At or adjacentits 'other end, shaft 65 carries a mitre gear 66 meshing with anothermitre gear 67 keyed to a shaft 68 mounted in bearings in the frame 34.

Referring to Fig. 2, shaft68 carries a cam 69 with which engages aroller 70 mounted at the end of a lever 71 pivoted to the frame 34 at72. Pivoted to one end of lever 71 is the end of a link 73 whose otherend is pivoted to the rod or stem 74 carrying the plunger P1. Spiralspring 75 secured to frame 34 and to lever 71 holds roller 70 in contactwith cam 69.

Referring to Fig. 1, shaft 68 carries another cam 76 with which engagesa roller 77 mounted on a lever 78 pivoted to the frame 34. Link 79pivoted to lever 78 is in turn pivoted to the rod or stem 80 of `aplunger P2. A spiral' justed to bring a sample sheet of the desiredwidth into proper operating position with respect to the form blockstructure of the wrappingI machine.

The hopper plates 44 are now adjusted to conform to the sizeof theselected blank to be utilized, whereupon a stock B of such blanksmachine.

are placed within the-hopper plates. The plates 41, `41a arecorrespondingly adjusted and the-knife edges 43, 43a are set against theedge of the blank most removed 'from' the wrapping machine.

P ungers P1 and P2 correspondin in size to the interior of the boxstructure to e made are placed respectively upon the rods 74 and 80 Therespective pairs of plates 45 and 47 are now adjusted beneath a blank Bof the selected size, the plates 45 being set beneath the cutout cornersof the blank most removed from the wrapping machine, and with theirthrough the center of plunger 80 and at right angles to the conveyorframes respective downwardl alignmenttransverse y of thel conveyorframes and beneath the transversely scored portion of the blank mostremoved from the wrapping machine.' Plates 47 are likewise set beneaththe cutout corners of the blank nearest the wrapping machine with theirrespective downwardly extending faces in alignment transversely of theconveyor frames and beneath the transversely scored portion of the blanknearest the wrapping It shall be understood that in eiecting thisadjustment, the pairs of plates and 47,

respectively, are positioned at equal distances from a plane passingvertically through the 'center of plunger P1 and rod 74 and at right fangles to the conveyor frames 12, 12a.

The pairszof plates and 57 are adjusted and iixed in position in asimilar manner, with each respective pair positioned at equal distancefrom a plane passin It will be observed that plungers P1y and P2 must bechanged for any change either in le h or Width of the blanks B but ythatrol s 49 and 52 are changed only `when the blanks differ in length.

' As described above, individual glued wrappers or sheets are transorted into the proper position beneath the orm blocks 2,I 3, and

'each sheet, in turn, is released from the gripper units V. In timedrelation with this sheet movement, the knife-edges 43, 43a reciprocatein response to reciprocation of the racks 39, 39a and on eachstroketoward the wrapping machine remove the bottom blank from the stack ofblanks B and pass it alongl the track structures. 40,',40a into ositionabove the pairs of plates 45, 47 and eneath',

the plunger', P1. At thisstage the plunger P1 descends and pushes theblank B between the respective palrs of formplates 45 and 47 which, with'guide members 50, 50a, cause partial rupture of the-blank at thescoredportions, thereby causing the ends and side flaps toassume asubstantially vertical position, Fig. 1. I n this form, the box isdeposited upon the extending faces in vertically 2 and rod l guidestructures 51, 1 51a whereupon the is pushed, from whence it passesthrough the bending or shapingirolls 49 and 52, the opposlte end iapsofthe box structure extending verticallyv .and .passing exteriorly ofthe aov rolls through the assages 81. Due `tothis` operation, the tenency of the side flaps to return'to their original or iiattened positionis lessened and the finished article will be ofimproved appearance.

Fingers53, 53a move the shaped box structure alongthe guide structures51, 51a and deposit it on the plates 5,9,I 59a in the path of theplunger P2 which now d sciends,`enters the box structure, and carries itdownwardly,

the plates 59, 59a swinging on their pivots,

agamst the springs 60 and entering the recesses 82 in the guide plates50, 50a, Fig. 4, to ermit such movement of the box structure.

` uring continued descentof the plunger P2, the box structure is forceddownwardly between the pairs of form plates 5 5 and 57 31, 31a advancethe box structure into vthe path of the form blocks 2, 3 where itmay beeld by the spaced resilient plates 83, as particularly described in ouraforesaid, parent application.

' into the shelf member1 61, along which, after retraction of plunger2,the pusher members Theupper form block structure may be provided withan arrangement, not shown, but

of -a character substantially as -illustrated in U. S. Letters PatentNo. 1,065,330, for holding` the box structure thereon. Brieiiy, this'arrangement comprises spring holders, outwardlyl flared at their ends,and secured adjacent their `other ends within the periphery of the formblock structure', said springs 'engaging the opposite end flaps ofthebox structure to releasably secure the entire box structure to the upperform block structure.

The partially formed box structure and the adhesivec'oated wrapper movesdownwardly through the machine to perform the Wrapping operation, as iswell understood'in the art. and on its upward movement is suitably istripped from v.the upper form bl'ocksh and ejected from .the machine.What we-claim is': l l. Box shaping apparatus l means for` feeding aboxblank in one direc, tion", means 'for simultaneousl effecting-41partial ,shaping4 operation an` passing the blank in another direction,and me'ans operable for again feeding the blank in said one directionand for bending contiguous portions thereofsubstantially into face toface contact completing the shaping operation.

2. Box shaping apparatus comprising means for feeding a box blank in onedirection, means' for .simultaneously effecting a preliminaryfshapingoperation and passing the blank in another direction, means operable foragain feeding the blank in said one direction, and means to bendcontiguous pormember transversely of the path of movement of the blank,whereby rolls of different lengths maybe utilized.

4. Box shaping apparatus comprising means to feed scored, unsh'aped boxblanks from a stack thereof comprising means to engage and exertpressure on an edge of an end blank of said stack, form plates, meansengaging faces of said blanks in succession and co-operating with saidform plates to bend said blank'along the scoring, and means operatingupon bent blanks in succession comprising structure to fold Wallcomponents of said blanks adjacent said scoring substantial-` 'ly`andtemporarily into face to face Contact.

' '5. Apparatus of the character described comprising means to retainbox blanks -in stack formation, a plunger, bending structure, andtransporting means simultaneously to move a blank from said stack intothe path of said plunger, and another blank from the path of saidplunger to said bending structure.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising means to retain boxblanks in stack formatioma plunger, bending structure and areciprocating transfer structure actuated in timed relation to saidplunger simultaneously to transport a blank from said stack into thepath of said plunger, and another blank from the path of said plunger tosaid bending structure. y

7. Box making apparatus comprising means to feed scored, unshaped boxblanks from a stack thereof comprising means to engage and exertpressure on'an edge of an end blank of said stack, means lto bend saidblanks in succession along the scoring thereof, wrapping machineform-block structure, and means to transfer -bent blanks inboxsimulating'form into the path of said structure.

8. Box making apparatus comprising means to retain box blanks in stackformation, a shaping plunger, form-block structure, and reciprocatingstructure adapted during successive reciprocations to transport a boxblank intermittently in thc same direction from said stack to saidplunger, and from said plunger to said form-block structure.

9. Box making apparatus comprising means to retain box blanks in stackformation, a shaping plunger, form-block structure, and reciprocatingstructure adapted during successive reciprocations to transport a boxblank intermittently in the same direction from said stack to saidplunger, and

from said plunger to said form-block structure, and means to transport.the shaped blanks in box-simulating form into the path of saidform-block structure. i

10. Box-shaping apparatus comprising means to bend portions of a boxblank destined to form opposite vertical Walls of a box with respect tothe portion destined to form the box bottom, means to feed said blankWhile bent, and a member successively engaging said portions to ironthem into engagement with the box bottom.

11. Box-making apparatus comprising means to feed box structures towardwrapping structure, means to feed freshly coated wrappers toward saidstructure, and reciprocating mechanism effecting aligned relation of boxstructures and Wrappers in succession for movement into the path of saidWrapping structure.

12. Box-making apparatus comprising means to feed box structures towardwrapping structure, conveyor mechanism movable always in one directionto feed freshly coated wrappers toward said structure, and reciproeatingmechanism effecting movement in succession of box structures intosuperposed aligned relation with wrappers for movement therewith intothe path of said wrapping structure. l

13. Box-making apparatus comprising conveyor mechanism intermittentlymovable in one direction to feed freshly coated wrappers into the pathof `Wrapping' structure, a reciprocating plunger to move box structuresinto superposed aligned relation with Wrappers, and reciprocatingstructure movable with said conveyor mechanism in one direction to movealigned box structures into the path of said wrapping structure, andsimultaneously to transport box structures into the path of saidplunger.

14. Box-making apparatus conveyor mechanism intermittently movable inone direction to feed freshly coated wrappers into the path ofvwrappingstructure, a reciprocating plunger to move box structures intosuperposedaligned relation with Wrappers, and reciprocating structuremovable with said conveyormechanismjn' one direcv tion to move boxstructures 1n said wrapperregistering relation into the path of saidwrapping structure, simultaneously to transport box structures into thepath of said plunger, and to move u. wrapped box from the comprisingLacasse path of movement of the vvrapping structure. i

15. Box-making apparatus lcomprising a reciprocating plunger adapted toengage and transport box structures, and a reciprocating carriage fortransporting box structures received from said plunger into the path ofa wrapping structure and fortransporting box structureto said plunger.

16. Box-making apparatus comprising box-shaping mec anism, form blockstructure, and a reciprocating structure for transportin box blanks tosaid mechanism and shape the path of said form block structure.

17. Box-making apparatus comprising means for feeding wrappers toward awrapping structure, a reciprocating plunger adapted to move shaped boxblanks in boxsimulating form into superposed aligned relation'with saidwrappers, and reciprocating structure for transporting shaped box blanksintov the path of movement of said plunger and moving said box .blanksin box-simulata,-

ing form to saidwrapping structure while' maintaining said alignedrelation.

v18. Box-shaping apparatus comprising means vfor feeding a box blank inone direction means for shaping the box blank by bending portionsthereof destined to form box lwalls substantially into face to facecontact with an intermediatev blank ortion and for simultaneouslypassing the b ank in another direction, and means operable for againfeedinl the blank in said one direction.

19.-A ox-shaping ap aratusv comprising means for'feedlng a box lank inone directin means timed therewith for shapin the box blank bybending'portions thereo `destined to be box walls into face to facecontact Jwith an .interveningv .portion and simultaneously 'for passingthe blank in another direction and meansl timed with said feeding meansfor again feeding the-blank in Said one direction.

l box bottom.

20.4Box-shaping apparatus comprising means` for simultaneousl bendingportions of a box blank destined1 to form op osite walls 'of a box, anda member successive y en $18111 Tary ace to. face contact thereof withthe 21. Thev continuous method of lforming boxes from box blanks whichcomprises. bending each blank in succession to bring the portionsthereofl adapted to form opposite vertical walls into engagement with te box botjtom, without substantial dela feeding ,the

blanks asthus shaped indivi ually in suc- 'cession to a station', and atsaid station formmg m suocessionboxes lfrom said shaped blanks bysecuring the wall portions thereof 1n box-forming position by'adhesive-coated sheet material.

u THEODORE A. FEDERWITZ.

WALTER T. BAILEY.,

blanks in. box-simulating form into said bent portions to `.eect-tempov

